Why keep your cell phone number if you have permanently moved across country??

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Sourdough

"Eleutheromaniac"
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In a cabin, on a mountain, in "Wilderness" Alaska.
They move to Alaska permanently and keep their long-distance cell phone number. Then they get upset you don't make a long-distance call to tell them a grizzly bear is chewing on their doggie.
 
Sourdough said:
They move to Alaska permanently and keep their long-distance cell phone number. Then they get upset you don't make a long-distance call to tell them a grizzly bear is chewing on their doggie.
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I didn’t know there were places that still charged long distance.
 
LadyLocust said:
I didn’t know there were places that still charged long distance.
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If you don't use a cell phone you pay long-distance with a landline phone.
 
LadyLocust said:
I didn’t know there were places that still charged long distance.
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None of the cell companies do in the continental US.
On topic: Why keep your cell phone number if you have permanently moved across country.
For me it has been priceless.
99% of spammers spoof the area code from the orphan north-central Alabama area it is from so I know immediately it is spam. <ignore>
 
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Spam filter, like others have said.
I'm not going to give up the number I've had for 20 years.
I live in the 99% of the country that has reliable cell service, with no desire to live in that 1%.
As far as I'm concerned residential land lines are functionally obsolete.
 
People with cell phones think everyone else has a cell. The range I used to work at liked to text my landline. I always figured that people were either hiding or too lazy to notify all their friends and business they worked with as to their new number. Personally, anyone around here without a 907 area code is just a tourist.

Most people don't have phone service like Alaska does and most Alaskans aren't in your communication situation. In the First Gulf War Alascom was contracted to provide communication because of their unique phone equipment.
 
My number has a New Mexico area code. We don't pay for long distance. Even on our "black box" phone, it's a set $30 a month, and sits in our front room. It's a home phone with a router. Can use with an electrical plug, or the amish use it with a battery, and it's our in home phone.
 
Just be aware, that using a cell phone while dialing "911" will result in precious time lost. Where I live, all "911" calls are answered by the central dispatch of Highway Patrol, about 50 miles away. You need to advise where you live, and what equipment you need. They then transfer to your local area, where everything you said must be repeated again, in order to help you.

Just something to consider when deciding which phone to use during an emergency.
 
We keep a land line phone to make calls to places that will usually bug the heck out of you. For example, I’m looking to buy a new car. We sent out some feelers to dealerships all from the land line. Now they won’t be bugging me on my cell phone b
 
I went ahead and changed my number after moving to AZ, and again after moving to NM... I wanted to blend in with the local population. Same thing for my car plates: I want to look local, not like some friggin' tourist. Cuts down on road rage incidents, vandalism, snide remarks, etc. When it comes to auto burglary, auto theft, armed robbery, etc, the criminal element is drawn to vehicles driven by out-of-town folks... I'd rather look like a local, not a target of opportunity. ;)
 
I couldn’t wait to change my phone number when I moved up here. I left no one behind that I wanted to talk to anyway. I never pick up a call from a non 907 number. Ever.
 
Pearl said:
I changed my cell number three years ago. Some people didn't get my new number 😉! I think some feel like their phone number is part of their soul. It's "their" number, no one else can have it!!🤔
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I cherish mine.:)
It dates back to the 90's and has trained a gazillion of robots: "Don't ever call that a-hole :mad:".
 
"Long distance" is nothing more than a scam by phone companies to skim more money out of their customers' pockets. This ain't 1950 anymore.

For a lot of people, they don't even bother with a land line anymore. We technically have one with the fiber-optic internet connection but that phone shaped object hasn't been plugged in in 4 or 5 years.

With modern cell phones, there is generally no reason to get a new number, especially when staying with the same carrier. I did recently change carriers and still kept my number.

Those who live where only a land line will even work are quickly becoming extinct. With Elon's skynet project (whatever it's called) it won't be long before that will make a lot of other communication methods obsolete as a grid of satellites doesn't care how remote you are, they see you.
 
Years ago I bought a new cell phone and got a new number.
That phone rang constantly.
The number had been the local Latin Lover's number and it seemed like every woman in the Seattle area had it.
The first night I had to power the phone off because it rang so much with calls from drunk women that were obviously in night clubs.
The next day I went back to the cell provider and got a different number.
Turned out that number had previously been some deadbeat that the bill collectors were after. They finally stopped calling the number so it worked out OK for a few years then I started getting calls again from bill collectors looking for the guy. They finally got the message and stopped calling but I figure it will happen again some day.
My wife has had her number since around 1995 and we have switched carriers 3 times.
I've had my current number since 2008. It was my work number before I retired and the hospital told me to just keep the phone because it was older so I just kept the number. I have upgraded the phone at least 3 time in 10 years and always port the number to the new phone.
 
havasu said:
Just be aware, that using a cell phone while dialing "911" will result in precious time lost. Where I live, all "911" calls are answered by the central dispatch of Highway Patrol, about 50 miles away. You need to advise where you live, and what equipment you need. They then transfer to your local area, where everything you said must be repeated again, in order to help you.

Just something to consider when deciding which phone to use during an emergency.
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It is similar here in Southern Utah, if you dial 911 you get the Sheriff dispatch center, they take the information and pass it on to the correct agency/department. Even from your land line it goes to the same dispatch center. I think it has more to do with consolidating all the emergency calls to one location so every city or small town with their own emergency services do not have to staff a building 24/7 when they may only get a few dozen calls a day. Rural areas are still dependent on the Sheriff for police related incidents and unless someone just happens to be driving through the area you will wait 20 or 30 minutes or maybe an hour for a police response. Most small towns have their volunteer fire departments for fire and medical purposes so they usually have a quick response time.
 
Years ago when I worked in Kazakhstan my logistics manager quit. I had to assume his duties until we could hire a replacement, so I carried his cell phone. Every Friday and Saturday evenings I'd get a lot of calls from young women. At that time the only thing that I could understand was "jiggy, jiggy" and the price. Apparently he needed a lot of company on weekends.
 
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